Eat right for your lifestyle

What’s your lifestyle? Busy parent, jet-setting exec, student, athlete, or vegetarian? Or some combination of these? Jim White, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, says one size doesn’t fit all nutritional needs. You have flexibility in making healthy eating choices. He offers some suggestions:

 

•  Career-minded. Busy work days. Business travel. Eating on the fly. Suggestions: Keep single-serve packages of crackers, fruit, peanut butter, low-sodium soup, and canned tuna in your desk. Tuck portable, nonperishable foods in your purse, briefcase, or backpack for a meal on the run. Try granola bars, peanut butter and crackers, fresh fruit, trail mix, and single-serve packs of whole-grain cereal or crackers.

•  Athletes. Even for the casual workout. Your body needs fuel to function, so eat a light breakfast or snack before you exercise. Try low-fat yogurt, graham crackers with peanut butter, a banana, or cereal with low-fat milk. Before, during, and after exercise, replace fluids with plenty of water or a sports drink.

•  Students. Ah, the fast-paced lifestyle on a low budget. Stock smart grab-and-go snacks that combine protein and carbs to fuel you, such as apples with peanut butter, carrots and hummus, hard cooked eggs and fruit, banana and yogurt, almonds with low-fat cheese or whole-grain cereal. In the cafeteria, choose the salad bar but go easy on cheese, bacon, high-calorie add-ons, and  salad dressings.

•  Families. Quick and nutritious can be done. Keep things simple. Build a collection of favorite recipes and choose ingredients that you can use in more than one meal. For example, cook extra grilled chicken for chicken salad or fajitas the next day.

•  Vegetarians. You can include nutrient-rich beans in vegetarian chili, a hummus-filled pita sandwich, or veggie burger. Make popular items vegetarian, such as veggie pizza and pasta primavera.

This website is not meant to substitute for expert medical advice or treatment. Follow your doctor’s or health care provider’s advice if it differs from what is given in this guide.

 

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